Antoine Semenyo Scores FA Cup Final Winner as Manchester City Beat Chelsea 1-0 to Join Drogba and Kanu in African Scoring History

Manchester City secured their second trophy of the 2025/26 season on 16 May 2026, defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium to lift the FA Cup — a result that extended their silverware haul following their Carabao Cup triumph in March.

The match’s decisive moment arrived in the 72nd minute, when Antoine Semenyo cleverly flicked home a cutback from Erling Haaland to separate the two sides. The goal proved enough for Pep Guardiola‘s team to hold on through sustained late pressure from Chelsea and claim Wembley glory.

Semenyo’s strike placed the Ghanaian forward in exclusive company. He became one of only a handful of African players to have scored in an FA Cup final, joining a list that includes Didier Drogba, Kanu Nwankwo, Bill Perry, and Yaya Touré — names that span decades of African contribution to English football’s most historic cup competition.

City had controlled much of the early exchanges, enjoying significant possession and creating chances in the opening stages. Semenyo himself had two attempts blocked before finding the net, while at the other end, Chelsea forward Joao Pedro was denied by a combination of composed defending from Abdukodir Khusanov and his own misfortune, slipping as he struck a shot that City goalkeeper James Trafford gathered without difficulty.

Chelsea grew into the contest as the final progressed and mounted considerable pressure following City’s goal, including several penalty appeals that the referee declined to award. Blues goalkeeper Robert Sánchez contributed meaningfully to keeping Chelsea in contention, producing important saves to deny both Matheus Nunes and Rayan Cherki.

Ultimately, City’s resilience proved decisive. The victory brought their FA Cup title count to eight, drawing level with Chelsea’s own tally in the competition’s all-time winners table. For Guardiola’s side, it represented a second Wembley appearance and triumph in the same campaign.

The result extended Chelsea’s painful recent record in the competition. The defeat was the Blues’ fourth consecutive FA Cup final loss, a run that underlines a persistent inability to convert showpiece appearances into silverware, despite periods of dominance in qualifying for the final itself.

For Semenyo, the goal marked a significant personal milestone. The 25-year-old, who joined Manchester City after establishing himself in the Premier League, is among a relatively small number of Ghanaian players to have made a decisive impact on one of English football’s most prominent occasions. His compatriots and African football observers will note that his name now sits alongside legends of the game in the FA Cup final scoring record.